By Ramona Saviss By Ramona Saviss | December 1, 2021 | People,
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES KINGS
L.A.’S ATHLETES ARE SHINING BRIGHT ON THEIR RESPECTIVE TEAMS. HERE, WE CATCH UP WITH THE KINGS’ ADRIAN KEMPE, THE CHARGERS’ DERWIN JAMES AND THE CLIPPERS’ TERANCE MANN—ALL 25 YEARS OLD—IN BETWEEN GAMES AND PRACTICES TO DISCUSS CAREER ADVICE, HOLIDAY TRADITIONS, THEIR FAVORITE L.A. SPOTS AND MORE.
ADRIAN KEMPE-Los Angeles Kings
Drafted by the Kings in 2014, Adrian Kempe (@adriankempe), who is originally from Sweden, moved to Los Angeles as a teenager. “It was hard in the beginning because I didn’t know a lot of [people],” he says of his tough first two years with the Kings. He goes on to say one of the most difficult things as a young player is to get into the league, but more than that, he says, it’s “how to play to stay in the league.” According to Kempe, the key is staying consistent and having the coach’s trust. Excelling early in his career, Kempe had the opportunity to play with his older brother, Mario Kempe, who is also a professional hockey player and eight years his senior. “He’s still a very big role model for me,” he says. Today, the center/ left wing player resides in Hermosa Beach, where he likes to spend a lot of his free time. “There are a lot of athletes and all of my teammates live close by too—[there are] always people to hang out with,” he says. He even plans on hosting his teammates for a traditional Swedish holiday meal. “We have a lot of Swedish guys on our team all of a sudden,” he says. “This year I’ll try to get all the guys together to come over for a nice dinner.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
DERWIN JAMES JR.-Los Angeles Chargers
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
“The game is still football, but I feel like the game is evolving,” says Derwin James Jr. (@derwinjames), straight off of the practice field. Hailing from Florida, James talks about being a versatile player. “Whatever the team asks me to do—safety, linebacker, defense, deep safety, middle safety—I’m there. I tell my coaches, I tell my team, just put me anywhere in a play,” he says. James moved to L.A. in 2018 and currently lives in Irvine, where he enjoys being a homebody. He describes his favorite pastime as spending time with his 4-month-old, Derwin James III. He also enjoys playing Madden. “I’m a big gamer,” he says of playing in (virtual) leagues all over the world. It’s important for James to be able to tell his own story. He wants people to get to know him off the field, and is filming an autobiographical documentary series, with episodes airing on his social media channels and on YouTube, to do just that. “I went through adversity the last couple years and I wanted to tell my story in my own way and, you know, be the author of my own story. I wanted to be authentic and I wanted it to come from me,” he says of his passion project, showing people that there are ways to overcome adversities in life. “Yeah, we play football every day and we love it, but at the end of the day, we have a life outside of football too. And I wanted to show that to my fans too.” With wisdom well past his 25 years, James discusses the importance of reminding himself that not every day will be perfect, and that sometimes things will be out of his control. “Sometimes you just got to play the hand that you’re given,” he says. The best advice he’s gotten in his career, he says: “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.” And as for his advice for others? “Never get satisfied and never get caught up in the moments,” he adds. “Just stay humble and learn how to handle success. ... You’re gonna have highs, you’re gonna have lows, just stay true to who you are as a person.”
PHOTO: BY ZACHARY SCHMIDT
TERANCE MANN-Los Angeles Clippers
PHOTO: COURTESY OF LA CLIPPERS
“It’s just a different vibe; the pace is definitely different,” Brooklyn native Terance Mann (@terance) says of his move to L.A. But the small forward has adapted and enjoys his L.A. life, going to hot spots including Ysabel, Delilah and BOA Steakhouse, as well as (not as fancy, but equally notable) Sweet Chick, Bossa Nova, taco spots and a hibachi food truck. He currently resides in the Venice Beach/Marina del Rey area and spends most of his time near the water unless he’s going out to Beverly Hills or Hollywood. This season, NBA players have taken on a more fashionista role, dressing in designer clothing and hiring stylists for made-for-Instagram ’fits as they enter the arena. “If you look good, you play good,” Mann says of his trendsetting looks. He enjoys a high-low mix and being a champion of lesser-known brands. “I like low-key brands that don’t really have anything yet. They send me their stuff and I’ll wear it. ... That’s my type of speed—not too much designer stuff ,” he says. “I definitely do a mix, definitely some high-end and then I’ll mix it with the lower-end brands that are up-and-coming.” Mann recently inked a shoe deal with Chinese footwear brand Anta, which counts NBA players Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward and Rajon Rondo as partners as well. And that’s not his only recent contract—he also reupped with the Clippers with a two-year, $22 million contract extension. As for the game itself, he says, “I feel like I’m learning a lot from some good people.” But he’s looking to make his own mark. “Somebody once told me that your path is different from everybody else’s,” he says. “You can’t look at the next guy and try to compare [yourself] to them because it’s not going to be the same, [how] everyone handles every situation. I just took that and ran with it and [learned] how to stay in my own path.”
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